Archives: People

Amrita worked as Data Governance Engineer in Automobile Club of Southern California (AAA), with hands on experience in enterprise data governance frameworks, metadata management, data modeling, data analysis, data lineage, data quality initiatives. She earned her Master of Science in Computer Science from University of the Potomac, D.C. She holds certifications as Tableau Desktop Specialist, Scrum Master and Salesforce Administrator. At Mason, she supports Data Stewards in defining the data dictionary and providing solutions to Data Quality issues. She also helps initiate different data governance processes and implement end to end engagement process under team guidance, and support the implementation of new data governance tool.

Amrita enjoys travelling especially to islands and beaches. She also loves hiking or walking in trails in nature and loves exploring new experiences in life.

Tom joined OIEP in September 2025 as the Associate Director of Data Analytics. In this role, Tom is primarily responsible for managing data definitions, compiling census datasets, conducting analysis, and reporting to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).

Prior to OIEP, Tom spent five years in Institutional Research and Assessment at Temple University. He holds master’s degrees in Higher Education and Applied Research & Evaluation, both from Temple, and a bachelor’s degree in Statistics and Data Science from Yale University.

Tom is passionate about linking his work to institutional and student success. He has spent time teaching, coaching, volunteering, and conducting research on adolescent development in higher education settings. Tom is well-versed in an array of data tools and software including R, SQL, Excel, Qualtrics, and Tableau.

Tom competed on the varsity rowing team in college. He enjoys hiking, camping, video games, and movies.

Rupa is a Business and Data Analyst with over 18 years of experience at George Mason University, specializing in business intelligence, data analytics, and data governance. She supports data-driven decision-making across academic and administrative units at Mason with expertise in Oracle databases, SQL, and MicroStrategy.

Prior to joining Mason, Rupa worked at the Department of Homeland Security with focus on data quality, integrity and accurate reporting.

Rupa is a proud Mason alumna. She is a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) at the George Mason Toastmasters Club. She enjoys traveling and taking long walks with her energetic goldendoodle, Kobi.

Emily is the Data Visualization Specialist for OIEP, where she serves as the technical expert for creating data visualization solutions that support institutional analytics and the development of other data tools for internal and external audiences. Before joining George Mason University, Emily was a Data Science Graduate Assistant for the Department of Information Technology at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). She also obtained her Undergraduate and Graduate degrees in Information Systems from UMBC. Emily is passionate about leveraging data to enhance understanding and empower individuals to make informed decisions.

During her free time, Emily enjoys crocheting and exploring new arts and crafts.

Iulia Voina serves as a Research Associate within the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning, conducting data requests and statistical analyses to support university initiatives. She completed her MS in Statistics at Oregon State University, and BS in Statistics from Virginia Tech. Her primary research interests are in experimental design methodology and statistical communication, and she is passionate about using data to tell accurate and meaningful stories. 

Srikanth joined OIEP as a Research Technical Staff member in 2024, responsible for gathering, organizing, and analyzing large datasets to support various research projects. He provides technical expertise in data collection, organization, and analysis, enhancing data accessibility and insight generation. Srikanth earned his Master’s degree in Data Analytics from George Mason University and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from BML Munjal University. Currently, he is focused on expanding his skills in data analysis.

Kristina is a Senior Research Associate in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning (OIEP). Prior to joining OIEP, she served as a Legislative Research Analyst for the Tennessee General Assembly, where her research informed a wide range of policy decisions and received awards from the National Conference of State Legislatures. Kristina is currently a doctoral student in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University and recently earned a Graduate Certificate in Data Science from Austin Peay State University. She holds an M.A. from Alice Solomon University in Berlin, Germany and a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Dr. Diana Bharucha serves as a Senior Assessment Planner within the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning (OIEP) to support Co-Curricular and Mason Core Assessment at GMU.

Prior to OIEP, Diana spent 12 years in institutional research and college planning and evaluation at Northern Virginia Community College. She served overseas for 9 years with the US State Department in Stockholm, Sweden; Nairobi, Kenya; and Beijing, China. She holds a Ph.D. in Cellular Oncology from George Washington University and a B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from Tulane University. She is excited to support student success at GMU!

Diana enjoys cooking, baking, and spending time with her children and cats. Her favorite band is Coldplay.

Amy serves as an Assessment Planner within OIEP, supporting institutional assessment efforts across George Mason University.

Prior to OIEP, Amy spent 6 years in federal technology consulting leading complex software development projects for large government clients. She holds an M.S. in Educational Psychology – Assessment, Evaluation, and Testing from George Mason, and dual B.S. degrees in Mathematics and Statistics from James Madison University. Throughout her career, her research interests have focused on higher education evaluation and assessment, and she is thrilled to be applying these skills within George Mason.

Dr. Bonnie Sylwester currently serves as the Associate Director of Program Assessment. She oversees administrative assessment and supports academic and Mason Core assessment. She also works in data analysis and reporting and enjoys helping units and programs integrate data into their planning and review processes.

Bonnie has a PhD in Second Language Studies from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where she focused on language program evaluation and assessment, and an MA in Instructional Systems Development from UMBC. Prior to joining OIEP, she was Associate Director for Curriculum and Assessment at INTO Mason.

Bonnie is an avid sailor and enjoys getting out on the Potomac or the Bay whenever possible.